Mary's Garden - Roses

These roses are from my parent's garden. I planted them over 20 years ago. They have been dormant almost that long. This year loving care by my parents resulted in these beautiful roses.

Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.

Fine Art Friday - Special Edition - The Sacred Heart of Jesus

Raising Teenagers

I found the following at Lisa's blog

How to Raise Great Teenagers
(Written By Great Teenagers)

*In my opinion the most important factor of how to raise a great teenager is to raise them great before they're teenagers. To raise them with an equal mix of love and discipline and to not be too strict or give in to their every desire. Most importantly to instil a love of God and a desire to please Him.

*In my opinion, treating each person differently, according to their own needs and personality creates an atmosphere conducive for success - there's no one way to raise everyone.

*One thing that sticks out in my mind about how my parents raised my sister and I is they always had to draw the line somewhere. This went for everything like dating, curfew, going out to do things with friends, who our friends were etc etc. Growing up we hated that line because it was never where we wanted it, but now when I look back it was right where it needed to be.

*A huge factor in a teenager's conduct and personal developement of character is finding a way to keep God important in their life. There is nothing easier for a teenager to dismiss God as a childish thing, or at least nothing to be taken seriously; finding a way to make God seem, indeed the first priority, and an adult one, as well, is key to any teenager's being "great".

*Never assume that your parents know exactly what you mean by something. We must make ourselves very clear when saying something that could be misinterperated. I think one of the biggest problems between teenagers and their parents is not communicating what we mean effectivly.

*I think that one of the more important things to raising a teenager is to make them work. This builds their character and also keeps them occupied...

*I think an important thing to raising a teenager is breaking them of bad habits when they're younger. You should give them love and attention, but also show discipline and not bend to their will. You should also keep God an important factor in their lives.

Eucharistic Procession - St. Stephen's

My mom, sister and I attended a Eucharistic Procession in Paterson, NJ. Fr. Darius K. the pastor began the Procession with Adoration and prayer inside St. Stephen. The procession itself stopped at four different altars and at each stop the Gospel was read and there was benediction by the Eucharistic Body of our Lord. It was a wonderful experience to be part of this tri-lingual celebration honoring the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior. We sang and prayed in English, Spanish and in Polish yet as the deacon pointed out, we were one family, one body in Christ.

This celebration ended with Benediction and the singing of Pescador de Hombres again in the three languages. It was a very moving experience.

The following are a few photos I took.

Memorial Day and Pray for Our Military

Source here

PRAYER FOR OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE

O Prince of Peace, we humbly ask Your protection for all out men and women in military service. Give them unflinching courage to defend with honor, dignity and devotion the rights of all who are imperiled by injustice and evil. Guard our churches, our homes, our schools, our hospitals, our factories, our buildings and all those within from harm and peril. Protect our land and its peoples from enemies within and without. Grant an early peace with victory founded upon justice. Instill in the hearts and minds of men and women everywhere a firm purpose to live forever in peace and good will toward all. Amen.

Queen of the Holy Rosary, we implore you to bless our military forces at home and abroad. Guide their steps into the way of peace. Amen.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.

Over 100 Reasons for Making a Holy Hour

I found the following list of Adoration quotes at St. Monica's Perpetual Adoration Eucharistic Adoration Website and used with permission. Mahalo Tom!

#1 - God is waiting for us in Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Let us not keep Him waiting in vain! (Pope Benedict XVI - 2005 to Present)

#2 - Jesus Himself is calling you to spend one special specific hour with Him each Week! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#3 - A Holy Hour brings Heavens choicest blessings on those who are faithful to their Hour! (Pope Paul VI - 1963 to 1978)

#4 - There are even some who, lead by ideas foreign to traditional piety, look upon a Holy Hour of adoration as of minor importance! (Pope John XXIII - 1958 to 1963)

#5 - This is not merely a passing devotional practice. It is founded on divinely revealed truths! (Pope Pius XII - 1939 to 1958)

#6 - A "Holy Hour" of adoration has been approved by the Church and enriched with copious indulgences! (Pope Pius XI - 1922 to 1939)

#7 - Every Holy Hour we make so pleases the Heart of Jesus that it is recorded in Heaven and retold for all eternity! (Mother Teresa of Calcutta - 1910 to 1997)

#8 - A Holy Hour before the Most Blessed Sacrament so pleases the Heart of Jesus, that every man, woman and child on earth receives a new effect of God’s graces! (St. Sister Faustina -1905 to 1938)

#9 - A Holy Hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament is so important to Jesus that a multitude of souls go to Heaven who otherwise would have gone to hell! (Jesus revelation to Blessed Dina Belanger - 1897 to 1929)

#10 - All the angels of heaven gaze in ecstasy at the image left on your soul after each holy hour you make in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament! (Excerpt from 'Letters To A Brother Priest')

#11 - If it were humanly possible to fully understand the value of a Holy Hour everyone would make time to do it! (St. Peter Julian Eymard - 1811 to 1868)

#12 – Perpetual Adoration extends its influence far beyond the individual adorers, touching their homes and families and reaching out to the parish community and beyond! (Pope Paul VI - 1963 to 1978)

#13 – Each time you approach the Blessed Sacrament remember that Jesus has been waiting for you for twenty centuries for this personal visit from you! (St. Josemaria Escriva - 1902 to 1975)

#14 – A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who visit the Blessed Sacrament, for the purpose of adoration, for at least 1/2 Hour under the usual conditions! (Handbook Of Indulgences - Norms & Grants)

#15 - A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who visit the Blessed Sacrament, for the purpose of adoration, if, for some reason, they cannot meet the plenary indulgence requirements! (Handbook Of Indulgences - Norms & Grants)

#16 – A Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration is a sharing in the work of Redemption! (Archbishop Fulton Sheen - 1895 to 1979)

#17 – The grace of adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament is given to everybody! (St. Peter Julian Eymard - 1811 to 1868)

#18 – Our Lord hears our prayers anywhere, but He has revealed to His servants that those who visit Him in the Eucharist will obtain a more abundant measure of grace. (St. Alphonsus Ligouri - 1696 to 1787)

#19 - The future belongs to those who worship God in silence! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#20 - It is impossible in human terms to exaggerate the importance of being in adoration before the Eucharist as often and for as long as our duties and state of life allow! (Fr. John Hardon - 1914 to 2000)

#21 – St. Vincent de Paul would make a Holy Hour asking the Lord blessings on important business transactions and, afterwards, returned to thank the Lord! (St. Vincent de Paul - 1581 to 1660)

#22 – During our Holy Hour our souls are fed in two faculties of the spirit - the Mind and the Will. In the Mind we need light; in the Will we need strength.! (Fr. John Hardon - 1914 to 2000)

#23 – By being faithful to a Holy Hour of Adoration you can teach by example. “The young should be taught the value of Eucharistic Adoration.”! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#24 – I strongly recommend that each of us make a resolution, no matter how much the decision may cost us, to make a holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament…once a week! (Fr. John Hardon - 1914 to 2000)

#25 – The love of God and neighbor, the greatest commandment, is expressed in, and the fruit of, Eucharistic worship! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#26 – Do you want the Lord to give you many graces? Visit Him often. Do you want Him to give you few graces? Visit Him rarely. Do you want the devil to attack you? Visit Jesus rarely in the Blessed Sacrament. Do you want him to flee from you? Visit Jesus often! (St. John Bosco - 1815 to 1888)

#27 - Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament has His hands full of graces and He is ready to bestow them on anyone who asks for them! (St. Peter of Alcantara - 1499 to 1562)

#28 – A Holy Hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament is worth more than a thousand years of human glory! (St. Padre Pio - 1887 to 1968)

#29 - It is our duty to adore the Blessed Sacrament. No one receives the Blessed Sacrament unless he adores it...and not only do we not sin by adoring, we do sin by not adoring! (St. Augustine – 392 to 418)

#30 - The faithful are to hold the Eucharist in highest honor… worshiping it with supreme adoration! (Code of Canon Law - #898)

#31 - The most brilliant ideas come from meeting God face to face (at adoration). The Holy Spirit that presided at the Incarnation is the best atmosphere for illumination! (Archbishop Fulton Sheen - 1895 to 1979)

#32 - During our Holy Hour we lift up to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus those souls in the most need of His mercy! (Excerpt from 'Letters To A Brother Priest')

#33 - You must propagate veneration of the Most Blessed Sacrament with all your might, for the devotion to the Holy Eucharist is the queen of all devotions! (Pope Benedict XV - 1914 to 1922)

#34 - I ask everyone to intensify in coming months love and devotion to the Eucharistic Jesus! (Pope Benedict XVI - 2005 to Present)

#35 - I encourage Christians regularly to visit Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament, for we are all called to abide in the presence of God! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#36 – Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament consoles a soul far beyond what the world can offer! (St. Alphonsus Ligouri - 1696 to 1787)

#37 – There is no doubt that a flood of graces will descend upon your family and the world if more souls would become docile pupils of adoration! (Blessed Pope John XXIII - 1958 to 1963)

#38 – A Holy Hour of adoration testifies to the fact that the Jesus who died on the cross, is present in the Eucharist, and reigns in Heaven, are identical! (Pope Pius XII - 1939 to 1958)

#39 - Perpetual Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament is the devotion which surpasses all others! (St. Pope Pius X - 1903 to 1914)

#40 - Our Lord is hidden there in the Blessed Sacrament, waiting for us to come and visit Him, and make our requests to Him! (St. John Vianney - 1786 to 1859)

#41 - Jesus Himself is calling you to spend one special specific hour with Him each Week! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#42 - Nothing is nearer to our hearts than devotion to the Holy Eucharist grow from day to day throughout the world! (Pope Benedict XV - 1914 to 1922)

#43 - This is not merely a passing devotional practice. It is founded on divinely revealed truths! (Pope Pius XII - 1939 to 1958)

#44 - The Holy Hour becomes like an oxygen tank to revive the breath of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the foul and fetid atmosphere of the world! (Archbishop Fulton Sheen - 1895 to 1979)

#45 – In order to convert America and save the World what we need is for every parish to come before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in Holy Hours of prayer! (Blessed Mother Teresa - 1910 to 1997)

#46 - “I have a burning thirst to be honored by men in the Blessed Sacrament”! (Jesus speaking to St. Maragaret Mary Alacoque - 1647 to 1690)

#47 - Every Holy Hour we make so pleases the Heart of Jesus that it is recorded in Heaven and retold for all eternity! (Mother Teresa of Calcutta - 1910 to 1997)

#48 - A Holy Hour will give you more strength during life and more consolation at the hour of your death and eternity! (St. Alphonsus Ligouri - 1696 to 1787)

#49 – Come to Me, all of you...Behold, for you I have established a throne of mercy on earth and from this throne I desire to enter into your heart! (Jesus speaking to St. Sister Faustina - 1905 to 1938)

#50 – “You can come to me (in Eucharistic Adoration) at any moment, at any time; I want to speak to you and I desire to grant you grace!” (Jesus speaking to St. Sister Faustina - 1905 to 1938)

#51 – When Our Lord sees pure souls coming to visit Him in the Blessed Sacrament He smiles on them. They come with the simplicity that pleases Him so much! (St. John Vianney - 1786 to 1859)

#52 - If souls but understood the Treasure they possess in the Divine Eucharist the Churches would overflow with adorers no less by night than by day! (Blessed Dina Belanger - 1897 to 1929)

#53 - Restoration, sanctification, transformation, reparation and salvation are the graces being poured out graciously upon us with each Holy Hour we make."! (Excerpt from 'Letters To A Brother Priest')

#54 – Jesus revealed to St. Faustina at Adoration that “beneath these rays (from the Eucharist) a heart will be warmed even if it were like a block of ice; or hard as rock..”! (St. Faustina - 1905 to 1938)

#55 – Eucharistic Adoration is the most necessary mission to the Church, which has even more need of prayerful souls than of powerful preachers or men of eloquence! (St. Peter Julian Eymard - 1811 to 1868)

#56 - Every time we come before the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus He touches the heart of all humanity. The Eucharist is the heartbeat of evangelization! (‘The Sacred Eucharistic Heart of Jesus' audio tape)

#57 - We should build the whole edifice of our spiritual life around Adoration. We should not hesitate to ask Him to work miracles, now, as He did in Palestine! (Fr. John Hardon - 1914 to 2000)

#58 - For Jesus to 'work miracles' is available in our day on one condition. That we come to him in Adoration and confidently beg him to give us the graces that we so desperately need! (Fr. Hardon - 1914 to 2000)

#59 - We represent those in the world who do not know Jesus during our Holy Hour of Adoration! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#60 - In the course of the day the faithful should not omit to visit the Blessed Sacrament! (Pope Paul VI - 1963 to 1978)

#61 – The worship of Christ present in the Eucharist is not just a personal, solitary “Jesus and Me” experience but involves the entire Church! (Blessed Pope John XXIII - 1958 to 1963)

#62 – No less than His contemporaries in Palestine adored and implored Him for the favors they needed, so we should praise, thank Him, and implore Him at Adoration! (Pope Pius XII - 1939 to 1958)

#63 – Christians should make expiatory supplications and prayers, prolonged for a whole hour, which is rightly called a “Holy Hour”! (Pope Pius XI - 1922 to 1939)

#64 - Devotion to the Eucharist is the most noble, because it has God as its object; it is the most profitable for salvation, because it gives us the Author of Grace! (St. Pope Pius X - 1903 to 1914)

#65 - The devotion which God sends to the succor of His Church and of the nations at the present time is the devotion to the Holy Eucharist. It is the highest of all devotions! (Pope Leo XIII - 1878 to 1903)

#66 - We are not called to great penances...but the Holy Hour is a sacrifice in union with Christ! (Archbishop Fulton Sheen - 1895 to 1979)

#67 - A Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration helps to bring everlasting peace to earth! (Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta - 1910 to 1997)

#68 - Let us never forget that an age prospers or dwindles in proportion to its devotion to the Eucharist. This is the measure of its spiritual life, faith, charity, and virtue! (St. Peter Julian Eymard - 1811 to 1868)

#69 - During a Holy Hour our love for Jesus becomes more intimate, our love for each other more understanding, and our love for the poor more compassionate! (Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta - 1910 to 1997)

#70 – The same piety that moves the faithful to Eucharistic Adoration attracts them to a deeper participation in the Mass! (Congregation of Divine Worship - 2001)

#71 - You will find visits to the Most Blessed Sacrament very conducive to increase in you Divine Love! (St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi - 1566 to 1607)

#72 - You should take up as your own cause a Holy Hour of Adoration so that Peace and Unity can be brought about in the Church! (Pope Paul VI - 1963 to 1978)

#73 - Priestly, religious, and missionary vocations will stem from your Holy Hour! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#74 – A Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration is the best way to grow spiritually (outside of Mass)! (Pope Paul VI - 1963 to 1978)

#75 – The daily adoration or visit to the Blessed Sacrament is the practice which is the fountainhead of all devotional works! (St. Pope Pius X - 1903 to 1914)

#76 – The only time our Lord asked the Apostles for anything was the night He went into agony. Not for activity did He plead but for an Hour of companionship! (Archbishop Fulton Sheen - 1895 to 1979)

#77 - Jesus Himself is calling you to spend one special specific hour with Him each Week! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#78 – A Holy Hour of adoration before the Most Blessed Sacrament opens up the floodgates of God’s merciful Love upon the world! (Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta - 1910 to 1997)

#79 - Society will again someday become Christian won to Jesus Christ by the apostolate of Eucharistic Prayer! (St. Peter Julian Eymard - 1811 to 1868)

#80 - Even a quarter of an hours prayer in front of the Eucharist perhaps gains more graces than all the other spiritual exercises of the day (outside of Mass)! (St. Alphonsus Ligouri - 1696 to 1787)

#81 – “Visit the Blessed Sacrament of some church at least once a day.” This was one of the many rules a young ‘Angelo Roncalli’ wrote out for himself. He later became Pope John XXIII (1958 to 1963)!

#82 - One of the by-products of a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration is the sensitiveness to the Eucharistic Presence of Our Divine Lord! (Archbishop Fulton Sheen - 1895 to 1979)

#83 – Eucharistic Adoration is an invaluable converse with Christ where we learn more deeply of the mysteries of His Divine and human life! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#84 - Do you realize that Jesus is there in the Blessed Sacrament expressly for you, for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart! (St. Therese of Lisieux - 1873 to 1897)

#85 - Offering their entire lives with Christ (at Eucharistic Adoration) to the Father in the Holy Spirit, they derive from this an increase of faith, hope, and charity! (Congregation of Divine Worship - 2001)

#86 – Thru Perpetual Adoration a Parish gives the King all the love He truly deserves. Perpetual Adoration is the Divine romance between Jesus and His people! (Fr. Martin Lucia)

#87 – I beg you to show the greatest possible reverence for the Eucharist through whom all things have been brought to peace and reconciled with Almighty God! (St. Francis of Assisi - 1181 to 1226)

#88 – During our Holy Hour, those in most need of His Mercy are stamped and marked with the Precious Blood of Jesus. This includes those who are to die that day! (from 'Letters To A Brother Priest')

#89 - If we only knew the value of a Holy Hour we would never miss a single day without making one. Because the Cross is infinite in merit, there is no limit to the value of a Holy Hour! (Letters to a Brother Priest)

#90 – The Blessed Virgin is eager to make Jesus in the Eucharist known to all and to group them into a Eucharistic Guard of Honor, a court of devoted adorers! (St. Peter Julian Eymard - 1811 to 1868)

#91 – During a Holy Hour our Lord gives us the courage to cope with our natural fears, the ability to undertake great things for the sake of His name, and the power to undergo great trials! (Fr. Hardon-1914 to 2000)

#92 - Let us take time, in the course of the week, in passing, to go in and spend a moment with the Lord who is so near! (Pope Benedict XVI - 2005 to Present)

#93 - The spiritual lives of our families are strengthened through our Holy Hour! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#94 - As we would expect, an outstanding spiritual growth and impetus tend to spring from Perpetual Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament! (Pope Paul VI - 1963 to 1978)

#95 - A Holy Hour helps the one in the world in most need of God’s Mercy! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#96 - The worship paid to the Eucharist strongly impels the soul to cultivate a “social” love, by which the common good is given preference over the good of the individual! (Pope Paul VI - 1963 to 1978)

#97 - A Holy Hour before the Most Blessed Sacrament repairs for evils of the world! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#98 - Neither theological knowledge nor social action alone is enough to keep us in love with Christ unless both are proceeded by a personal encounter with Him in Adoration! (Bishop Fulton Sheen - 1895 to 1979)

#99 – Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is the best time you will spend on earth! (Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta - 1910 to 1997)

#100 – Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is the end of the Church Militant just as adoration of God in His glory is the end of the Church Triumphant! (St. Peter Julian Eymard - 1811 to 1868)

#101 – We contribute to the radical transformation of the world during our Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#102 – During our Holy Hour before the Most Blessed Sacrament of the altar we contribute to the sowing of the Gospel! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#103 – Our Holy Hour of Eucharistic adoration acknowledges Christ as the spiritual center of our community! (Pope Paul VI - 1963 to 1978)

#104 – During our Holy Hour we grow more and more into His likeness! (Archbishop Fulton Sheen - 1895 to 1979)

#105 – Eucharistic Adoration will make your soul everlastingly more glorious and beautiful in Heaven! (Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta - 1910 to 1997)

#106 – Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, outside of Mass, should go together with worship in Mass so that our love may be complete! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#107 – A Holy Hour of Adoration in our modern rat race is necessary for authentic prayer! (Archbishop Fulton Sheen - 1895 to 1979)

#108 – During Eucharistic Adoration we share in Jesus divine life in a transforming union! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#109 – By being faithful to our Holy Hour, and letting nothing interfere with it, we use it as the sign and symbol of our victimhood with Christ! (Archbishop Fulton Sheen - 1895 to 1979)

#110 – Our Holy Hours of Eucharistic Adoration makes us more sensitive to the needs of our fellow man! (Pope John Paul II - 1978 to 2005)

#111 – A Holy Hour becomes a magister and teacher. Theological insights are gained not only from the covers of a treatise, but on two knees before the Blessed Sacrament! (Bishop Fulton Sheen - 1895 to 1979)

#112 – Perpetual Adoration is a neurological point of the life of faith...! (Pope Benedict XVI - 2005 to Present)

#113 – I only wish to thank God that (Perpetual Eucharistic) adoration has been reborn everywhere in the Church! (Pope Benedict XVI - 2005 to Present)

#114 – We have rediscovered that the ability to celebrate His sacrifice...loses its profundity and human richness if adoration is lacking, adoration as the act that follows receiving Communion! (Pope Benedict XVI - 2005 to Present)

#115 – Adoration is to enter into profound heartfelt communion with the Lord, who makes Himself bodily present in the Eucharist! (Pope Benedict XVI - 2005 to Present)

#116 – Take refuge often at the feet of Jesus...My dear ones, the Visit to the Blessed Sacrament is an extremely necessary way to conquer the devil. Therefore, go often to visit Jesus and the devil will not come out victorious against you."! (St. John Bosco - 1815 to 1888)

Solemnity of Corpus Christi - Eucharistic Miracles

In honor of this solemnity Eucharistic miracles are offered for your reading pleasure.

1. Lanciano (The first miracle) 8th Century

The altar at Lanciano

There have been numerous Eucharistic miracles occurring all over the world since the 8th century. The Real Presence has a list from Austria to Switzerland.